Fire-escape.



w. P. SLATTBRY'.

FIRE ESGAPB. APPLICATION FILED umzs, 190a.

Patented June 8. 1909;

M 9 a W Z v 0 WILLIAM P. SLATTERY- OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

v FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed January 28:, 1908. Serial No. 413,106.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SLAT'IERY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification, containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a fire escape, my object being to construct a simple, inexpensive, and compact device which may be carried in the pocket, and which will provide means for permitting a person to lower himself to the ground from the window of a burning building when escape therefrom by means of the stairways or elevators is cut off.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fire escape of my improved construction, with a portion of the covering thereof removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the center of the housing of the fire escape; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings :1 designates a skeleton housing formed in one piece, the lower end of which is open, and said housing being approximately rectangular in outline, and provided with a covering 2 of leather or cloth, as desired.

A flap 3 of the covering extends below the lower end of the housing and is adapted to be folded over the open lower end of said housing when the apparatus is packed away or carried in the pocket. Arranged for rotation in the lower portion of the housing 1 is a transversely disposed shaft 4, and rigidly fixed on said shaft, within the housing, is a spool 5, on which is wound a length of steel ribbon or tape 6, of sufficient strength to support considerable weight, the inner end of said ribbon or tape being rigidly fixed to the hub of the spool.

The outer portion of the ribbon or tape extends around a series of rollers 7, transversely arranged for rotation in the upper portion of the housing 1, and the end of said ribbon or tape is extended through a slot 8 in the top of the housing; and fixed to said end is a short length of chain or cable 9, which is adapted to be attached to a hook, or some heavy object.

Fixed on a pin 10, which is seated in the housing 1, above the pin 4, is one end of a friction band 11, which passes around and bears upon the peripheries of the disks of the spool 5; and fixed to the opposite end of this friction band is a vertically disposed arm 11*, which extends upward through a slot 12 in the top of the housing; and fixed on the projecting end of said arm is a ring 13.

Fixed in any suitable manner within the open lower end of the housing is one end of a strong flexible band 14, such as a chain or cable, of suflicient length to pass around a persons body, and carried by the free end of this band is a snap hook 15.

When a fire escape of my improved construction is packed away or carried in the pocket, the band 14 is located in the lower portion of the housing 1, and the flap 3 is brought across the open lower end and secured in position, and thus the entire device is conveniently held in compact form.

To use the device, the chain or cable 9 is attached to a hook or some fixed or heavy object, and the band 14 is passed around the body immediately below the arms.

The unwinding of the steel ribbon or tape permits a person to descend in safety from a burning building; and, during the descent, the speed at which the ribbon or tape unwinds is governed by manipulating the handle 11, which controls the action of the friction band 11 on the peripheries of the disks of the spool, and thus the descending movement can be retarded or accelerated, as desired.

A fire escape of my improved construction is extremely simple and compact, is very quickly arranged for use, and the tape or ribbon being of steel, or analogous material, will not burn while in use, which is possible where ropes or cords of fibrous material are used.

I claim 2- A fire escape, comprising a skeleton housing open at its lower end, there being a plurality of openin s in the top of the housing, a transversely disposed spindle j ournaled in the lower portion of the housing, one end of which spindle is square, a spool rigidly fixed on the spindle, a metal tape fixed at its inner end to said spool and normally wound thereon, the upper end of which tape passes through one of the openings in the top of the housing, a plurality of friction rollers engaging the tape between the spool and the top of the housing, a friction band fixed to the interior of the housing at one end and encircling the spool, and adapted to frietionally engage upon the edges of the flanges of said spool a handle rigidly fixed to the free end of said friction band and extending upward through one of the openings in the top of the housing, a flexible loop secured at one end to the lower end of the housing, and which loop normally occupies a position within the housing, :1 flexible cov- 15 ering for the housing, and :1v fiup integral with the lower end of the covering, which flap normally closes the open lower end of said housing and maintains the flexible loop therein. 20

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVILLLXM l SLAT'lERY.

Witnesses M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE. 

